Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On Friday 24 August 2004 at about 1530, locomotive DBR1199 derailed while hauling a set of empty passenger cars into Britomart Station in Auckland. The passenger cars and second locomotive were not derailed. The derailment occurred when a tyre, which had worked loose from a wheel on DBR1199, struck the frog in a set of facing points and derailed all wheels of the trailing bogie. The safety issue identified was the susceptibility of tyred wheels to loosen due to excessive heat.

On Sunday 22 August 2004 at about 1708, the passenger ferry "Superflyte" was proceeding from Matiatia on Waiheke Island to Auckland, with 6 crew and 311 passengers on board, when a fire was discovered in the port engine room. The master issued a distress call and all passengers were evacuated in due course to other vessels that responded to the call. Carbon dioxide flooding was used in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but this was unsuccessful due to a fault in the system. The fire was eventually extinguished manually by the crew with assistance from the Fire Service.

On Wednesday 18 August 2004, at about 0815, an unmanned DFT locomotive, that had been stabled in the loop at Pines, ran away on to the Main North Line and collided with stationary Train 726, a Christchurch-Picton express freight service. The runaway locomotive struck the second wagon in the consist of Train 726, which was standing over No.3 motor points at the south end of Pines. There were no injuries and only minor damage to the DFT locomotive and one wagon on Train 726. Safety issues identified were: - the procedures for the application of the handbrake on the locomotives

On Monday 16 August 2004, the restricted limit fishing vessel "Iron Maiden" foundered to the south of Pandora Bank, off the Northland west coast, with the loss of the 2 crew. The boat was on a delivery voyage from Mangonui on the east coast to Raglan about halfway down the west coast of North Island.

On Wednesday 28 July 2004 at about 1320, during a wrong line running operation, Train 3358 a Tranz Metro Papakura to Britomart diesel multiple unit passenger train passed Signal 8B at Tamaki, at Stop, without verbal authority. The train continued on the Down main towards Britomart Station without the required Track and Time Permit. There was no conflicting movement approaching Train 3358. Safety issues identified included: - training regime for locomotive engineers multiple units - the identification in the field of the start point for wrong line running

On Tuesday 20 July 2004, at 1345, Train 725, a Picton to Christchurch express freight service, was authorised to travel through the Tormore to Scargill section of the Main North Line that was already occupied by a track maintenance gang. Two track maintenance personnel had just completed their work and were stowing equipment on their vehicle parked trackside when the train travelled through their worksite. There were no injuries or equipment damage. Safety issues identified included: - the certification process for trainee train controllers

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

On Sunday 4 July 2004 at about 1517, while on passage from Chatham Islands to Napier in heavy weather, the coastal cargo vessel "Southern Tiare" lost its rudder below the rudder head. The master was able to manoeuvre the ship, using the bow thruster to maintain the ship’s head into the sea, until a tug arrived to take the ship under tow to Napier, where it berthed without further incident. The crew sustained no injuries during the incident. Safety issues identified included:

On Wednesday 30 June 2004 at about 1530, the restricted limit passenger vessel "Esprit de Mer" with a skipper, one staff member and 7 passengers on board was returning from the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory at Harrison Cove to the ferry terminal at Milford Sound. As the boat approached the wharf, the skipper noticed black smoke coming from a port-side engine room ventilator. The boat was secured alongside and the passengers disembarked. The skipper stopped the engines and used a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher to fight the fire. The fire was extinguished almost immediately.

On Monday 28 June 2004, at about 0710, the power generator unit at the rear of passenger express Train 1605 caught fire as the train berthed at Carterton Station. The train manager expended one of 3 fire extinguishers carried on board the train to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries to passengers or crew. Safety issues identified included: - the layout of the generator enclosure - the installation of the fire detection and suppression system. Three safety recommendations were made to the Chief Executive of Toll NZ Consolidated Limited to address these issues.

[A preliminary investigation showed that the circumstances were not likely to have significant implications for transport safety. Consistent with section 13 of the TAIC Act the Commission discontinued the investigation and no report was published.]

On Wednesday 19 May 2004 at about 0117, the fishing vessel "Joanne" collided with the tanker "Hellas Constellation" in the approach channel to the Port of Tauranga. The "Joanne", with 2 people on board, was returning from fishing grounds in Bay of Plenty. The "Hellas Constellation", with a full cargo of automotive gas oil, was entering the Port of Tauranga under pilotage. There were no injuries. The "Joanne" suffered minor damage to the bow only. The "Hellas Constellation’s" hull plating and framing were set in, but not ruptured, and there was no spillage of its cargo of oil.